Mr. Duermeyer’s Period 8 WIN
On Tuesday, October 22, students from grades 9-12 visited SAMS as part of the high school’s Future Teachers of America program. Led by history teacher Mr. Pirring, the program gives future educators a glimpse into teaching by sending high schoolers to observe and participate in lessons across the district.
Eleventh-grader Evey Stiglich, one of the visiting students, spoke to Mr. Duermeyer’s Period 8 WIN Class about her experiences in high school, her memories of SAMS, and her passion for teaching.
“My brother and I are six years apart. When I was in seventh grade, he was in kindergarten. I always loved helping him with his work. When COVID hit, it forced me to be organized, and it taught me that I could teach because I helped him during the shutdown. I really like helping people,” Evey shared.
The SAMS students asked a variety of questions. Mason Kozora asked if high school is safe and if there are fights. Evey reassured him, saying, “We have a lot of security walking throughout the school. There have been some fights, but I haven’t witnessed one, and I’m a junior.”
Nora Maher asked if high school is more fun than middle school and whether students can use their phones freely. Evey responded, “There are pros and cons. There’s a lot more experience and personalization, but I loved middle school. And yes, we keep our phones on us, but most of us keep them turned off. Some teachers have us put them in caddies, but most are okay with us having them as long as we don’t use them in class.”
Owen Golightly, thinking of The Outsiders, asked if there are gangs in high school. “No, not that I’m aware of,” Evey said with a laugh.
Owen Lebakken wanted to know how hard it was to navigate the high school. Evey admitted, “It’s bigger. There are many little hallways. At freshman orientation, they gave me a map, and I still have it to this day.”
Calla Remley asked about Evey’s class schedule. “We have nine periods a day, and they’re 42 minutes each. I’ll have 10 classes this year because the electives change at the end of the semester. I take a preschool lab and health. I took interior design as a sophomore. PE is an elective, so I took aerobics, which is yoga and dance.”
Ben Zheng asked if the food is better in high school than middle school. “I would say so. I really like the food there. There’s more variety. The pizza is my favorite,” Evey said.
Nate Lorence asked about advanced classes at the high school. Evey explained, “There are a lot of advanced classes, and it depends on the core subjects. There are AP and honors classes. I take four honors classes: Spanish 4, Chemistry, Algebra 2, and Honors History.”
Olivia Hughes asked what high school doesn’t teach and what Evey would like to learn. “I just got my driver’s license. My grandmother talks about how they taught driver’s education in high school. That would be good,” Evey said.
Madison Vincent asked which school Evey enjoyed more—high school or middle school. Evey replied, “I loved middle school. I thrived socially even though it was during COVID. I made most of my friends during middle school.”
Aubrey Kosalec asked how big the high school felt when she first started. Evey admitted, “The building felt huge, but I was told it’s in the shape of a W, and that helped, along with the map.”
Finally, Alina Hunter asked if there’s more time between classes in high school. Evey said, “There are four minutes instead of three, but it’s easier to get to your classes because you have your backpack with you, so you don’t have to stop at your locker.”
Evey’s conversation gave the SAMS students a view of high school life. With the program continuing throughout the year, more aspiring teachers will get the chance to share their insights and gain classroom experience.
The SAMS Salmon 